How is Cadmium harmful? Details explored as Hershey products flagged over “concerning” levels of heavy metals

Hershey seems to be getting some negative publicity after a recent survey from Consumer Reports flagged some of its products for having high levels of heavy metals, including Cadmium. One of the most abundant heavy metals in the environment, Cadmium is known to pose risks of brain and nervous system damage if taken in high quantities.

The heavy metal can also be quite severe for growing children and pregnant or expecting women as it is also known to cause delays in development and several behavioral and learning problems. However, even healthy adults with major exposure to heavy metals could be at risk of experiencing adverse effects like hypertension, kidney damage, and suppression of the immune system, among others.

Consumer Reports found concerning amounts of cadmium and lead in chocolates following a recent survey (Image via Hershey)

For those wondering, the survey from Consumer Reports found at least three Hershey products to be containing high levels of heavy metals like cadmium and lead. These products include - Cocoa Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao, Special Dark Chocolate Chips, and Milk Chocolate Bar.

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Consumer Reports urge chocolate manufacturers like Hershey to reduce Cadmium and other heavy metals in Chocolates

The non-profit organization, Consumer Reports, conducted a survey in 2023 and found "concerning" levels of heavy metals like cadmium and lead in chocolate products from popular companies including Hershey. At least one-third of the chocolates and chocolate products tested by the non-profit organization contained comparatively higher levels of both cadmium and lead.

Consumer Reports took California's Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) as the base for the survey while testing over 48 chocolate products from different brands. Considering that the MADL specifies a limit of over 0.5 micrograms of lead and 4.1 micrograms of cadmium per day, the survey found that more than a dozen chocolate products from the survey crossed the legal standards by several levels.

More than a dozen of the tested chocolate products including Hershey's contained higher levels of heavy metals (Image via H.)

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider chocolates to be a major source of heavy metal exposure. Thus, it presses that the responsibility to ensure the products are safe for human consumption lies on the manufacturers. As such, Consumer Reports seems to be planning to take the matter directly to the manufacturers, including Hershey, as the non-profit petitions and urges them to reduce heavy metal content in their chocolate products.

As per Reuters, Hershey didn't give a direct comment about the survey but referred the request to the National Confectioners Association, whose spokesman, Christopher Gindlesperger commented:

"Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries."

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How do heavy metals like Cadmium find their way into food products like Chocolates?

As mentioned earlier, most heavy metals are naturally present in the environment in different forms. Cadmium, for instance, is often found in the soil and can make its way to the Cocoa plants through the roots.

While heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and nickel may not be necessary for the growth of the plant, they can still be absorbed by the roots in the form of nutrients after they become ionized. As the plant doesn't need these heavy metals, they get accumulate within the plant in the form of toxins.

Heavy metals can be absorbed by a plant after they ionize (Image via Hershey)

Most of the produce like foods and vegetables from such plants are at a high risk of containing relatively higher levels of various heavy metals and can be harmful for human and animal consumption. As such, it is a common safety norm to make fruits, vegetables, and seeds go through several food processing techniques.

The techniques which may involve several steps of boiling, roasting, drying, and cooking, among other processes, help reduce the levels of harmful contents like heavy metals in the finished food products like chocolates.